Mix1 review and a Pearl Izumi contest.

So my review didn't happen yesterday. Too much going on with the toddler birthday party in the morning and then preparation for a family party today. Life. It's always getting in the way of my blogging! Sheesh!

Today, though, I have a review of the Mix1 protein and antioxidant drinks. Mix1's PR person, Dina, sent me a huge box of the drinks and the first thing I thought when I opened it was that the packaging is fun! These bottles are just plain cute and colorful. But that's not what makes a drink so I decided that I would actually taste the different flavors in order to provide a thorough review.

And that's what I did. Before I give you my thoughts, let me share some information from the company. Mix1 calls itself an "all natural fast food" stating that "before or after your workout, mealtime, downtime, anytime -- mix1 provides sustained energy to get you through your busy day." The drinks are comprised of a 2:1 carb to protein ratio and contain antioxidants, fiber and the equivalent of 3 servings of fruits and veggies. There are also two new drinks -- the hi-antioxidant fiber drinks in dark-berry and orange-carrot -- that contain the equivalent of 9 servings of fruits and veggies. You can learn a lot more about the drinks at their web site here.

So how did they work for me? Well, pretty good. First, though, I have to confess that I have a weird thing with milk. I don't like it. It's the texture of milk that I don't go for and I just can't drink it. What does this have to do with Mix1 drinks? Not much, except that the "tangy and creamy" drinks have a texture that is somewhat close to, but not entirely the same as, milk. Once I got that in my head, I couldn't get it out!

I'm a wackadoodle, I know. This would not be a problem for anyone other than me and I wish I hadn't let the milk thing creep into my mind! But it did. I forged ahead, though, for the benefit of all of you out there in the internets and kept trying the drinks. Slightly creamy though they were.

The mix1 drinks are tasty! The dark-berry hi-antioxidant drink is really good. They were also the right amount of filling -- they seemed like they would make a perfect 4pm snack when I'm planning a 5:30 run. Oh, right! I actually tried that out and it worked. I had the mango drink around 4 one afternoon, when I normally have to eat a pre-run snack, and headed out for a run at 5:45. Worked like a charm.

As with most specialty drinks these days, they are a little pricey. I couldn't find actual store prices but I did see that they are for sale on Amazon here, 12 bottles for $25.

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You know what else Dina told me about? A Pearl Izumi contest! This is pretty cool. Pearl Izumi is giving away $250 worth of gear in their Animal Encounters Contest. They are looking for stories from people who've had encounters with animals while out on a run. You can post a video, photo or story.

The contest runs through June 15th. And, hey, you're chances are super good right now so check it out! Who wouldn't like $250 worth of running gear? I would love it!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~ Felice